γέλγις

Ancient Greek

Etymology

Frequently assumed to be a reduplicated formation, with Beekes concluding it to be Pre-Greek.[1]

Kroonen (2012) suggests an ultimate Akkadian etymology of the word, comparing it to Arabic جَدِيلَة‎ (jadīla, “braid”). He assumes a metathesis from a by-form *γέγλις, from which he reconstructs *γέδλις, which he compares to Akkadian 𒄀𒀉𒇻 (/gidlu/, “string of garlic or onions”).[2]

In any case, definitely related to ἄγλις (áglis, “clove of garlic”) – see there for more.

Pronunciation

(5^th BCE Attic) IPA^(key): /ɡél.ɡiːs/
(1^st CE Egyptian) IPA^(key): /ˈɡɛl.ɡis/
(4^th CE Koine) IPA^(key): /ˈɣel.ɣis/
(10^th CE Byzantine) IPA^(key): /ˈʝel.ʝis/
(15^th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA^(key): /ˈʝel.ʝis/

Noun

γέλγις • (gélgis) f (genitive γέλγῑθος); third declension

head of garlic

Declension

Third declension of ἡ γέλγῑς; τῆς γέλγῑθος (Attic)

Case / #	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	ἡ γέλγῑς hē gélgīs	τὼ γέλγῑθε tṑ gélgīthe	αἱ γέλγῑθες hai gélgīthes
Genitive	τῆς γέλγῑθος tês gélgīthos	τοῖν γελγῑ́θοιν toîn gelgī́thoin	τῶν γελγῑ́θων tôn gelgī́thōn
Dative	τῇ γέλγῑθῐ têi gélgīthi	τοῖν γελγῑ́θοιν toîn gelgī́thoin	ταῖς γέλγῑσῐ / γέλγῑσῐν taîs gélgīsi(n)
Accusative	τὴν γέλγῑθᾰ tḕn gélgītha	τὼ γέλγῑθε tṑ gélgīthe	τᾱ̀ς γέλγῑθᾰς tā̀s gélgīthas
Vocative	γέλγῑς gélgīs	γέλγῑθε gélgīthe	γέλγῑθες gélgīthes
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For declension in other dialects, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal declension. Nominative singular -ς (-s) arose by reduction of the original cluster *-tʰs.

Related terms

ἄγλις (áglis)

References

Beekes, Robert S. P. (2010) Etymological Dictionary of Greek (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 10), with the assistance of Lucien van Beek, Leiden, Boston: Brill
Kroonen, Guus (2012), “An Akkadian loanword in Pre-Greek: on the etymology of Greek ἄγλις and γέλγις 'garlic'”, in The Journal of Indo-European Studies‎, volume 40, pages 289-299